1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a design for a plasma display panel (PDP) capable of realizing an image using a gas discharge.
2. Description of the Related Art
A plasma display panel (PDP) has a large screen and excellent characteristics such as high picture-quality, ultra-slim size, light-weight, and wide viewing angle. The PDP can be manufactured in a simpler manner than other flat panel display devices, and the size of the PDP can be easily increased. Thus, the PDP has been important as a next-generation flat panel display device.
PDPs are categorized into DC PDPs, AC PDPs, and hybrid PDPs depending on an applied discharge voltage. PDPs are also categorized into discharge PDPs and surface discharge PDPs depending on a discharge structure. Recently, the AC PDP having an AC, three-electrode, surface-discharge structure has been widely used.
However, PDPs suffer from the problem in that the visible light must travel through a front substrate to be seen by the viewer. Because the electrodes, a dielectric layer and a protective layer are found in the front substrate, a large percentage of the visible light gets absorbed before it can be seen. As a result, the emission efficiency is low. Also, when displaying an image for a long time, the ions in the plasma tend to sputter the phosphor layers, etching in a permanent image into the display. What is needed is an improved design for a PDP that improves on emission efficiency and reduces the image burn in effect.